Bagyong Sendong

Signal number 1 hits here in Mindanao! A thick knot hits deep in my stomach. I felt so scared. My heart stopped for a moment and my lungs skip a breath. This is the first time in the longest time that I've experience a storm invading our little City. I could not remember the last time we've experienced this intense kind of weather. Rains pouring down on our rooftops like bullets fired in armalite rifles and the winds gushing so damn hard as if the roof is about to fly. Lights flickering on and off just like in a horror movie and the environment is freezing cold. It's been raining so hard for hours now and my mind races sporadically of the possibility that sooner or later the lights will die out since my internet connection unexpectedly got terminated (for the first time!) and maybe in a few hours we'll be flooded so bad all because of this surging tropical cyclone now turned into a full pledged typhoon. I feel so petrified. Now I am starting to feel neurotic but I gotta stay composed and vigilant. 

My mom’s already asleep and I keep myself awake guarding the entire house for possible thieves looming just around the corner taking advantage of this kind of weather. I keep myself perky at dawn and prepared our emergency light, candles and matches just in case a power interruption happens. Just when I hit back on my netbook to make some coffee, the lights eventually died just as what I’ve expected. Now this is really bad. I tried calling my sisters who are a few miles from us but I cannot send a message through my cellphone for the Globe network itself crashed down and even the telephone lines too. All I can do is to pray for them that they are safe especially to those who are living near a creek. I can imagine the house floating, people sitting on their rooftops shouting for help or the worst case scenario, some people might be dead as Bagyong Sendong wrecks havoc at exactly 12 midnight.

The hours passed by slowly and the rain let up at dawn yet the electricity, internet and telephone lines are down. My brother from Jubail called me on my cellphone to ask if we’re okay and thankfully we’re safe for now but I am really praying for my sisters and their families to be safe and away from the flood and those sorts of stuffs.

My eyes eventually start to feel sleepy and I surrender to the muddled thoughts racing wildly through my mind and get on to bed. Then around 7 in the morning, we heard people talking in the streets about certain areas in Iligan being totally damaged and hundreds of people died. Since electricity was out and globe networks still down, we haven't had any updates from my sisters or what has happened outside our Subdivision. So when the people walking on the street mentioned many dead casualties at Bayug Orchids Home, Hinaplanon & Lambaguhon; our hearts beat fast. So mom visited where my sisters lived and thank God they are safe however their house and things are drastically damaged. I am just thankful to Jesus that my family is safe but I feel for those people who died and the families they left and to those who are still missing. No one thought this was ever gonna happen in the City of Waterfalls. 

Almost a day passed by and still, the number of casualties are increasing and I could still hear the noise of ambulance racing from one place to another getting the dead bodies of those who became the unfortunate victims of Bagyong Sendong. Various pictures and videos of those victims showing the aftermath of this calamity were posted on Facebook and other social networking sites. Here are some of the pictures I saw from my FB account:

Photo Credits from Atty. Tanya Lat's FB

And thanks to these social networking sites because we are also able to update our families abroad of what is currently happening to their families back here in the Philippines. Some organizations too have helped raising funds and getting donations for the victims. I even volunteered to repack relief goods in less than 8 hours from now. I also plan to donate some used clothes especially for the little children. I'll be at the City Plaza and IIT gymnasium to assist those families who have nothing left of them except themselves. All their things, their house and car have been completely washed out. So me and some of my fellow law students decide to help these people the best that we can so that at least in our small efforts we have uplifted their souls to never lose hope and continue to fight, to live.

And may we pray for the eternal repose of those who have died and may those people who are missing shall be found soon. This could be the most tragic thing that's ever happened in Iligan City but through prayers, only He can help us, Jesus Christ, to keep us strong during these difficult times and to make things better just like before.